The modern Premier League has changed much in the English game - a lot of it for the better - with its all-seater stadia and phalanx of overseas players.

With Burnley back at Stamford Bridge, it was, though, a day to evoke the past - and, thankfully, not the sort of scenes from a more earthy era involving another side in claret and blue elsewhere in London in midweek. Chelsea even had a brass band playing nostalgically before kick-off.

It is 25 years since Burnley last played in the top flight at The Bridge; on a midweek afternoon during a miner's strike when floodlit games were prohibited, and with just over 8,000 watching. The result then? Three-nil to the home side.

This one was certainly a strange 3-0. For 45 minutes, a resilient Burnley, the season's early surprise packets, kept Chelsea at bay and showed up the flaws of the hosts' diamond formation.

They stopped their full-backs rampaging and forced a frustrated Chelsea to try to pick a way through a packed central area. If Burnley could thwart them, what punishment might Manchester United or Arsenal inflict?

But Nicolas Anelka's goal in first half added time was swiftly followed early in the second by silky goals from Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole - to embellish his man-of-the-match performance - and, ultimately, Burnley deserved nowt, not even for the performance of Brian 'The Beast' Jensen in their goal, who prevented a monstering, nor for those shirts and hooped socks that evoke their title-winning season of 50 years ago.

It was Chelsea's fourth straight win this season under Carlo Ancelotti and their ninth in all, taking in the end of last season. It is not just that midfield diamond formation that is echoing the Jose Mourinho era.

'I am happy because we showed good play,' said Ancelotti. 'Now we have to maintain this.'

The Italian is happy to contemplate the title, too.

'We have a possibility,' he said. 'We have started well. The season is long and it will be difficult but we have the possibility to step up when the chance comes.'

First blood: Nicolas Anelka opened the scoring deep into first half injury time

Survival, by contrast, will be the Burnley aim.

'It was a lesson at times for us in the way Chelsea passed the ball,' said their manager, Owen Coyle.

'But I've thanked the lads for the start they have given us.'

It is beginning to look already as if it is home form that will save them after two defeats away and six points at home, against Manchester United and Everton. It might have been different had they taken a marvellous chance with the game just 10 minutes old.

As he tucked the ball past the advancing Petr Cech, you waited for the net to ripple. Instead, the shot drifted wide of a post.

'At 1-0 in front the pressure would have been on Chelsea,' said Coyle. 'At this level you have to take those.'

For the rest of the first half, they absorbed Chelsea's pressure valiantly, their enthusiasm and togetherness serving them well. When Chelsea did find a way through, Jensen was towering, saving at Anelka's feet and beating away point-blank shots from John Terry and Lampard.

For all their potential potency, cracks appeared in the Chelsea ranks. Robbie Blake and Steven Fletcher tracked the runs of the full-backs, Jose Bosingwa and Cole, leaving Chelsea looking narrow in their approach play.

'We are,' said a Chelsea fan pining for a hero, 'missing Gianfranco Zola.'

Life may have long since moved on at The Bridge but you knew what he meant.

Finally, the goal that was harsh on Burnley arrived in the second minute of added time at the end of the first-half.

With the visiting defence advancing for a change, Michael Essien threaded a ball forward to Didier Drogba, who reached the righthand byline before crossing low to the far post, where Anelka arrived to guide the ball in off an upright after a stretching Clarke Carlisle, having a brave and excellent game, had only been able to touch the ball into his path.

Three up: Ashley Cole shows his delight after netting Chelsea's third

'At 0-0 at half-time there would have been everything to play for,' said Coyle.

As
it was, Burnley quickly found themselves out of the game at the start
of the second half with Chelsea's second goal. Anelka switched the ball
out to Lampard on the left and Ballack met his chipped cross to the far
post with a downward header past Jensen.

It looked to be a
result of Ancelotti asking them at the interval for more width in their
game and their third goal, arriving within another five minutes, also
demonstrated it.

Essien found Lampard, again the creator, as his
ball inside Alexander found Cole, who guided home a splendid shot into
the far corner as Carlisle sought to block.

The defender said: 'It's my aim this year to score as many goals as possible.'

After
that, there could have been more - and would have been but for Jensen.
Anelka clipped the bar after being put through by Ballack and the
goalkeeper twice had to make diving saves from Essien.

Mears
also cleared the substitute Salomon Kalou's shot off the line. Thus did
Burnley escape with dignity just about intact in the face of a Chelsea
onslaught. So, too, did football in London on a day of claret and
blue-remembered skills.